Unas exclaimed with delight, "If Your Majesty is willing to help, our chances of defeating the Black Dragon will be even greater!"
"But things must be done one step at a time. I'll write to Wildhammer first," Magni waved to the servants at the palace gate to prepare paper and pen. "As for catching up with the fleet, I have a shortcut that will guarantee Knight, reach Stormwind City sooner. I just don't know if you have the courage to take it."
I would like to hear more details.
The so-called shortcut was the Minecart Subway that led directly from Ironforge to the Dwarf District Stormwind City. After writing the letter, Magni didn't stop for a moment and led the Paladin to the Tinker Town of Ironforge.
After traversing a series of flat, wide passages, the two left the guards behind and arrived at a large, arched cave deep underground. Looking at the several rails laid across the rectangular pit and extending into the cave, Magni proudly proclaimed, "This is yet another miracle created by us Dwarves!"
Unas slapped his forehead, realizing he had forgotten something so important: there was a direct subway line between Ironforge and Stormwind City, which he had taken hundreds of times in the game.
"Why didn't Your Majesty remind me that with such a good passage, the refugees should have been allowed to return home through here!"
"Knight Unas is indeed quick-witted, guessing immediately that this leads to Stormwind City," Magni thought the Paladin had figured it out himself, "But this isn't the 'good passage' you speak of."
Contrary to Unas's understanding, this subway line was only recently opened and was still very dangerous. It was currently in the experimental stage and could only be used to transport goods.
"Since the day the tunnel was opened, it has experienced several landslides and leaks. I dare not let a large number of refugees pass through here. If another accident occurs, the consequences would be unimaginable."
Unas nodded, only then realizing that the Minecart Subway had only recently been opened. "How much time can we save by going this way?"
"If the machine doesn't malfunction, it will only take a day and a night."
"What a magnificent miracle!" Unas exclaimed sincerely. He knew that it would take refugees six to eight days to reach Storm Royal Port by boat, sailing downstream. "I'll set sail from here!"
"Unas Knight is indeed a true hero," Magni gave a thumbs up. "I will send an elite squad to accompany you. Once we arrive in Stormwind City, we will gather intelligence, and when the time is right, I will send you more support."
"Thank you very much, Your Majesty."
With such a quick shortcut right in front of him, Unas was unwilling to wait for Wildhammer's reply Wildhammer longer and wanted to set off immediately—the sooner he arrived, the more intelligence he could gather, and he was also somewhat worried about Marshal Windsor's safety.
"The ore carts won't be back until tonight. They'll need to be inspected overnight before they can be started again. In any case, let me treat you to a day."
Unas had no choice but to agree. Although he could fly there, it would be too physically demanding and very unsafe.
A day and a night passed in the blink of an eye. Unas was not idle; he toured Ironforge while also attracting investment.
With the added prestige of that Challenge and Magni's status as a guest of honor, the Bronzebeard merchants had to give him some face, and soon signed mutually beneficial trade contracts with several merchant guilds—he, as the lord, provided preferential treatment and security protection, while the guilds invested in opening shops or sending merchant groups to their territories.
The various rare metals produced in Blackrock Mountain, such as Mithril and Thorium, are hard currencies coveted by Ironforge, while the gems and antiques produced in Dun Morogh are the most sought-after goods by the Dark Iron Dwarves.
Previously, the two sides could only exchange goods through smugglers, but now that there are trading channels, it benefits both sides.
By noon the next day, everything was ready. Magni came to see him off in person. "Take care on your journey. I believe that with your willpower, Sir Knight, you will arrive safely."
"May the Holy Light bless my path, making it smooth and easy." Unas, feigning enlightenment, waved to the Dwarf King before boarding the first section of the minecart.
The elite squad assigned by Magni, consisting of ten men, also boarded the carriage behind them.
Unas sat down and patted the driver—a Gnomes technician—on the shoulder. "Let's go, Mr. Steelgrip."
"Yes, Knight!" the Gnomes technician responded in his distinctively high-pitched voice, then shouted to the carriages behind, "Fasten your seatbelts, gentlemen! I won't be responsible if you fall out halfway through; if you're lucky enough to survive, you'll have to climb back yourself!"
Unas quickly fastened his seatbelt, Gnomes nodded to him, shouting, "Ready!"
Everyone on the vehicle immediately Dwarf King, and after Magni waved back, the Gnomes snapped the lever shut.
The locomotive roared and spewed out a huge cloud of steam, causing the entire subway car to shake violently before it shot into the dark, arched tunnel with a whoosh.
After the initial bumps, the subway gradually stabilized. The headlights could only illuminate the tracks less than ten meters ahead, and the inky blackness constantly swallowed people's vision. The whole train felt like it was traveling through the stomach of an ancient beast, which was extremely frightening.
Unas felt the damp, strong wind blowing in through the window and the massive metallic noise coming from the tracks, knowing that Magni was right; this subway was indeed not suitable for ordinary people to travel on.
Fortunately, it would pass if he just endured it. Unas took out a blanket, wrapped himself tightly in it, and prepared to force himself to fall asleep.
But the driver didn't want him to fall asleep easily. His shrill voice, clearly audible even amidst the deafening noise, was as the Gnomes technician began to ramble on about the great story of building this subway train.
Unas wasn't interested in any of that. After listening for a while, he had to interrupt loudly, "Mr. Steelgrip, I only want to know about cannons, airplanes, and tanks. Can you tell me about them?"
"So you're a warmonger," the driver said bluntly. "I know nothing about these legendary things; you'll have to ask the master craftsman!"
Unas shrugged. He hadn't seen any of these war machines during his tour of Ironforge, only a few very primitive cannons located on a high Ironforge overlooking the surrounding mountains. It was strange, since in the game, Dwarves had planes, tanks, and cannons flying everywhere.
This subway uses steam power, suggesting that the Gnomes' technological level is only at the steam engine level, while airplanes and tanks require internal combustion engines to truly become combat-ready.
Unfortunately, Unas had long forgotten all his physics knowledge and the principles of the internal combustion engine. Otherwise, he could have pretended to be a scientist and given the Gnomes some pointers.
"Do you know about internal combustion engines, Mr. Steelgrip?" he asked, hoping to at least offer some direction.
"Never heard of it," the Gnomes frowned. The Paladin kept asking him questions he couldn't answer, making him feel like his intelligence was being attacked. "Where did you hear about this machine?"
"Uh..." Unas hesitated for a moment, then could only make up a story about another technological race, "I got this information by chance from the Goblins; I heard it's a very important machine."
"Tch!" Mr. Steelgrip scoffed. "These filthy Goblins only know how to make bombs and stuff. Internal combustion? Sounds like a bomb!"
Unas cursed under his breath at the blatant racism, having no interest in arguing with the other party. He decided to let the world's technological development take its course.
Based on his understanding of history, Gnomes technology should reach that point soon, and he didn't need to force it.
The deafening noise couldn't ward off Unas's drowsiness. After several days without rest, he finally closed his eyes and drifted into a long-awaited dream.
"Screech--", a teeth-grinding loud noise accompanied by a violent inertia suddenly hit him, Unas was jolted awake.
The subway slowly came to a stop after the emergency brakes. Mr. Steelgrip turned around, his eyes serious in the dim light. "There's a leak up ahead."
Unas looked out the window and saw that the tracks on the ground were covered by a shallow layer of water, and the salty smell of the sea filled his nostrils.
"This location," the Gnomes quickly pulled a silver cylindrical spear from a box at his feet, "Is most likely the work of the Naga."
It turns out the subway has already reached the undersea tunnel. As the Gnomes mentioned in his earlier chatter, this section of the tunnel happens to pass through the territory of a Naga Horde.
The Naga have always considered themselves the overlords of the sea. Although this branch is a small, remote Horde near the coast, they cannot tolerate being invaded by the Dwarves.
There have been constant frictions between the two sides during the construction of the undersea tunnel, and the Naga were responsible for several collapses and leaks. This time will likely be no exception.
The sound of splashing water echoed behind them as the entire elite Dwarf squad jumped into the water. Their captain Gude Graystone, reported, "Knight Unas, His Majesty the King has ordered us to follow your instructions throughout the journey."
Unas jumped off the train, splashing a huge amount of water. "Well then, come with me to the front and take a look."
"Wait," the Steelgrip technician rushed to the last carriage and dragged out a large wooden crate, "There's a batch of Spear Gun here, specifically for hunting Naga."
The specially designed rotating Mitsubishi barbed arrow ensures a powerful piercing strike in the water. The long metal tube contains a high-pressure spring and a 50-meter-long cowhide rope. With just a light pull of the trigger, the arrow can instantly hit any target within 50 meters.
Unas looked at the exquisite weapon in his hand and once again marveled at the craftsmanship of the Dwarves and Gnomes. After everyone was equipped with their Spear Gun, he gave the order, and the team cautiously moved forward.
Before long, the water was knee-deep, and waist-deep for the Dwarves and Gnomes. Going any further would be dangerous. Unas said, "You all stay put and stand guard. I'll go check ahead."
"No need," the Gnomes technician replied. "This entire tunnel is my second home. I know its layout perfectly well. This section is the lowest point; the water will only go this deep at most."
"Alright then," Unas shrugged indifferently, "Keep moving forward, and be careful to protect your teammates in front and behind you, lest you get swept away by the water without even knowing it."
After walking a while further, just as the Gnomes had said, the water stopped getting deeper. The group soon heard the sound of rushing water and shone their searchlights forward. They saw white jets of water gushing out from the rock wall on the left side of a tunnel.
"We need to plug it up quickly!" the Gnomes technician shouted. "Keep it submerged in seawater, and the lifespan of the tracks will be greatly reduced!"
Unas immediately led the Dwarf Warriors to check the leak, but found no trace of the enemy. He then said, "Mr. Steelgrip, prepare to repair it quickly. Captain Grayrock, take some men to check ahead for any enemies."
Although it would be difficult for the Naga to pass through the gap in front of them due to their size, they should still proceed with caution.
Gude Graystone responded, leaving five Dwarf Warriors behind, and led the other half of his men to "wander" forward.
Unas and the remaining Dwarves bent down and scooped up pebbles of all sizes from the water, forcefully stuffing them into the spout. Soon, the water jet turned into several thin streams.
The Gnomes technician had already skillfully pieced together several specially made steel plates he carried with him, pressed them into the gap, and fixed them to the stone wall with screws and a hammer. Then he filled the gaps around the steel plates with a sticky liquid, and the stream quickly disappeared.
"That's all we can do for now," Steelgrip wiped the sweat from his brow. "We need to send a repair team immediately; this patch won't last long."
Unas said with concern, "But what about the water beneath our feet? Can the subway still operate with this much water?"
"You think we haven't considered this, my lord?" Knight Gnomes technician said smugly. "Follow me, the Drain Valve is just ahead."
Just then, Gude Graystone, who had gone to scout, returned with his men. "Reporting, sir, no enemy was found."
"We still can't let our guard down," Unas said suspiciously. "By the Holy Light, I have a feeling there's an ominous chill in this place."
"Damp tunnels are always cold," the Gnomes technician said casually. "Sir, there's no need to worry."
"I hope so," Unas muttered to himself, and followed the Gnomes to the Drain Valve along with the other Dwarves.
After walking a short distance Gnomes stopped, bent down, and groped around in the water. He quickly called out, "It's right here! Help!"
Three Dwarf Warriors stepped forward, took the hoes and shovels distributed by the Gnomes, and began digging a pit in the water with great effort.
Digging a hole in water is different from digging on land. The resistance of the water, plus the fact that the dredged mud and sand are easily carried back into the hole by the water, makes digging both laborious and troublesome.
After digging for nearly half an hour, with the mound of earth beside them already exceeding the water level, a Dwarf's hoe struck a metal pipe with a clang.
"Stop!" the Gnomes cried out in distress, giving the Dwarf a reproachful look. Seeing the man's face covered in a mixture of sweat and cement, he shook his head, suppressing the curse that was about to escape his lips, and said, "We should have found it."
Gude Graystone complained, "Why bury a broken Drain Valve so deep? Were the people who designed this pipe system idiots?"
Mr. Steelgrip couldn't take it anymore and yelled, "What do you know, you stone head? What if the Naga finds us if we don't bury it deeper?"
"So what if we found those snake demons?"
"So you're just a blockhead. If they damage or block the Drain Valves, how will the floodwater in the tunnel drain away?"
"This..." The Dwarf squad leader was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to retort, when a cold and piercing voice suddenly echoed in the Cave.
"Hiss--"
At the same time, a loud splashing sound came from behind.
"Enemies!"
Suddenly someone shouted, and everyone turned around. They saw two bright spots in the darkness, shining like flashlights.
Upon seeing that beam of light, Unas felt his entire body go numb, unable to even lift his foot. His companions around him were the same, all frozen in place like statues.
With a rushing sound, the two beams of light rapidly approached—the enemy was Charge towards them.
"Divine Shield!" Unas silently chanted, instantly unleashing his trump card, the Invincible shield. The silver shield blocked the beam of light, and he immediately regained his mobility, raising his Spear Gun and pulling the trigger.
With a whoosh, the Mitsubishi arrow spun and shot out, the long rope attached to its tail aimed straight at the dark figure ahead. Just as it was about to hit, a burst of blue light erupted from the figure, and the arrow was deflected.
Unas immediately discarded his Spear Gun, instantly switching between his Silver Hammer and sword. With a shout, he activated his Instant Wings and Charge towards the oncoming enemy.
The opponent never expected anyone to break free of the Petrification restraints and was startled by the fish arrow. The moment of surprise was fatal. A longsword burning with flames was thrust at its chest in the blink of an eye. The magic shield in front of it was shattered with a single puncture. It could only desperately dodge to the side while raising its weapon to block.
But it was too late. The flaming longsword changed from a thrust to a slash without any hesitation, and with a soft hiss, an arm holding a curved blade flew high into the air.
Not a drop of blood splattered; the wound was instantly charred by the intense heat of the flames, and the shadowy figure didn't even feel any pain.